The Croton Aqueduct was New York City's major source of clean drinking water from 1842 to 1859, and is now considered one of the great engineering achievements of the 19th century. Engineered by John B. Jervis, who also oversaw the building of the Erie Canal, the aqueduct was designed using principles dating from Roman times. The aqueduct itself is an underground brick-lined tunnel is an elliptical tube 8.5 feet high by 7.5 feet wide. The tunnel was gravity fed for its entire length, dropping gently 13 inches per mile. As the aqueduct reaches from the Croton Dam and reservoir in Westchester County all the way to 42nd Street in Manhattan, that means fresh water traveled almost 41 miles by gravity alone!

Today, the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail follows the path of the original Croton Aqueduct where it traveled from Westchester through the Bronx and Manhattan. The trail is not always well-marked but it is easy enough to follow with it's distinctive marble ventilator turrets, set about a mile apart. These turrets kept fresh air circulating in the aqueduct tunnel when it was still in use. The trail reflects the changes that the aqueduct has gone through since it was first built - a walk on the Aqueduct can take you not only through stretches of leafy green space but also past backyards. local parks and village centres. The Trail is open to pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, cross-country skiers and equestrians.

In New York City proper, the trail begins at the New York City border in Van Cortlandt Park. However, the route of the aqueduct trail runs a short distance parallel to Metro North's Hudson line, making it easy to hop on and off the trail without a car. You will find the trail within a half-mile walk uphill & eastward from most of the stations on the Hudson Line.